The Tamarind Ball by Dara Girard

Author:Dara Girard [Girard, Dara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ILORI PRESS BOOKS LLC

What the groom had told her had to be wrong. Her sister Daniah was as bright as sunshine and as sweet as the ripest papaya.

Ayino made her way to the bride’s quarters and lifted her hand to knock on the partially opened door, when she heard her sister Daniah say, “Did you hear that Ayino tried to come back?”

“Oh, that awful creature,” Olia replied. “Did anyone see her?”

“No. Fortunately, Daddy quickly sent her away. He won’t let anything spoil my wedding day.”

“Nothing can spoil it. We need the money to cover Daddy’s debts. No one can know how slow business has been lately.”

“Daddy said there’s nothing to worry about now. We’ll be richer than we’ve ever been before.”

“Does he know about—?”

“He doesn’t need to know,” Daniah said. “The true problem is Ayino. When this marriage is over, we’ll send her far away so she’ll never be able to come back here. Daddy’s been too lenient. If she ever knew what we did—”

“Shh…I thought I heard something.”

“It’s just the wind or a stupid servant,” Daniah said. “Don’t be so jumpy.”

“We still need to be careful.”

Ayino turned from the window, a pain gripped her heart as she thought of her sisters’ words. Her sisters didn’t care for her? They were going to send her further away than her father had?

As tears stung her eyes, she lifted her gaze to the night sky and began to curse at the moon then quickly stopped herself remembering the crow-woman’s words. But her sisters’ betrayal stung. All these years she’d thought they hadn’t known about her. That their father had kept them apart, but it had been a lie. Hot tears streamed down her face.

Her great aunt had warned her not to come. That she might not want to see what was really there. Her sisters were as wicked as her father. She gripped her hands into fists. It was not her sister’s life that she had to save, but the groom’s. But how?

He needed the connections her family could provide. He needed to protect his brothers.

But if he married her instead of Daniah…then he could be entitled to the family name. And he’d admitted to not being picky. And if he married her she would foil her father’s plan and save his life.

Ayino returned to the garden not surprised to see him still there. He smiled with surprise and joy when he saw her. “You came back.”

“I have a proposition for you. Tomorrow I will bring the third daughter to you. If you can recognize her by the sound of her voice, then she will marry you and save you from this fate.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Be ready.” She left.

She hurried down the hall and passed a mirror and paused. She wanted to turn and see the face that the groom would remember. The face she’d no longer have. The one that had briefly allowed her to be free, but she closed her eyes and hurried past it. She left the house just as the rooster began to crow.

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